


Hath Another to Attend

by In_Flagrante_Delicto



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: AU, Autistic Gerard Keay, Autistic Jon (The Magnus Archives), Autistic Tim (The Magnus Archives), Gen, M/M, Multi, bookshop au, they're all autistic because I say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22712098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Flagrante_Delicto/pseuds/In_Flagrante_Delicto
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Jonathan Sims, Gerard Keay/Jonathan Sims/Tim Stoker, Gerard Keay/Tim Stoker, Jonathan Sims/Tim Stoker
Comments: 5
Kudos: 116
Collections: The Magnus Archives Rare Pairs 2020





	Hath Another to Attend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TalkingAnimals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalkingAnimals/gifts).



**Jon and Gerry's Antique and Esoteric Bookery** , the sign above the store read. Tim glanced down at his phone, double-checking the address out of habit. The store was thin, and -- from what Tim could see behind the window display -- it stretched back far into the building. He went over the details of the website again, struck with inexplicable nerves at the idea of entering.

" _The only reputable acquisition and extraction of books from the Library of Jurgen Leitner._

_No Leitner's are held on the premises._ "

Tim had first discovered Jon and Gerry's some months ago, after a co-worker in Artefact Storage had warned him about the books. They might be harmless, he'd said over lunch, but they'll kill you horrifically more often then not. And Tim wasn't one to leave well enough alone (which was probably we he was hired, looking back at it), so he did some research and stumbled upon the only site that wasn't full of conspiracies or some guy who claimed that reading a Leitner had given them extra bones. Jon and Gerry's.

It wasn't until recently, when the body of Jurgen Leitner was found in the office of the Head Archivist -- a woman named Kate who Tim knew well enough from her Research days to be sure she wasn't the murderer-- that Tim thought of them again. He had his suspisions about Elias, and if Leitner was important enough to kill, Tim felt he should make sure none of his books stayed in possession of the Magnus Institute when he left.

Tim had loitered outside their store long enough, so he drew together his courage, took a deep breathe in through his nose and entered. A bell rang above him, alerting the owners behind the desk to his presence. The walls were lined with books in all states of repair, some in glass cases or on display, and the shop smelt of that mixture of dust and paper that hung in all secondhand bookshops. Behind the cash register, a pale man with long black hair and tattoos was engrossed, sketching something into a notebook. On his left, a brown skinned man looked up from his book and his shocking green eyes met Tim's. Brown rimmed his irises and, shocked by the intense eye-contact, all Tim could think was how beautiful that was.

"Jon," he said. The other man looked up and caught sight of Tim. Jon nodded his head towards him. "This is my partner, Gerry."

"Tim Stoker, he introduced himself. "I work at the Magnus Institute."

Gerry frowned. Jon put his book on the table and pulled his knees to his chest. He was wearing a floor-length dress that flowed over his shoulders and cinched at the waist. Greens, blues, and purples swirled softly on the light material.

"Um." Tim said.

Gerry raised an thick ginger eyebrow at him. His grey eyes refused to meet Tim's, darting for a moment before settling squarely on the middle of Tim's forehead.

Tim held up his phone like a lifeline. "Your website says you deal with Leitner's,"

Jon tilted his head, and Gerry, if possible, frowned harder.

"We do. But none for you to add to your collection."

"No, uh." Tim could feel his script how this conversation was going to go drip away. He rubbed his wrist anxiously. "We have some."

There was a beat of silence as Gerry obviously processed this before Tim continued.

"I was wondering if. Well. I'm looking for new employment because I'm pretty sure my boss is a murderer? And..."

Gerry folded his leather-clad arms, the pins on his jacket clicking together with the movement.

"If I brought you the Leitner's we have in Artefact Storage, could you destroy them? Or contain them, or whatever it is you do with them?"

Jon leant forward, catching himself on the table as his chair unbalanced.

"if you can get the books..." he began, then looked at Gerry with an undecipherable expression.

Gerry met his gaze with an equally unreadable face, and Tim rubbed his thumb and forefingers in the silence.

After a long moment, Gerry sighed.

"If you can get the books," he echoed, "there's a position for you here."

"' **Jon, Gerry and Tim's Antique and Esoteric Bookery** ' has a nice ring to it doesn't it?" Jon said.

Tim nodded, wordless. Gerry returned to his sketch, and Jon rested his head on his knee to look at Tim.

"Uh," said Tim, nerves rebubbling in his stomach. "after I get the Leitner's, do you want to get dinner with me? Both of you?"

Gerry blanched, and Jon gasped a surprised laugh. Tim felt his face heat. Normally he wasn't embarrassed to ask people out, but Jon and Gerry, despite how weird they seemed, were kind. And stunningly handsome, which hadn't hurt.

Jon smiled slightly, the barest hint of white teeth peeking through his lips, and Gerry grinned.

"We'd love to,"


End file.
